The Public Theatre News

QSTC's Playwrights of Color Summit (POCS) is a week-long residency that allows previously unproduced playwrights an opportunity to work exclusively on their plays with all resources, stipends, travel and room & board provided by QSTC.  The week's work will culminate in staged readings of four finalists' plays. Founder Tyrone Mitchell Henderson says, "This year we will accentuate the voices of four female solo artists whose work sheds light on self-worth, communication, love, identity and growing as an artist.  It is so fulfilling to bring these new works to my home town."

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off-Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, has announced the nominees for the 9th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off Broadway during the 2018-2019 season.

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to speak with James Hayden Rodriguez, who is currently playing Luke/Ares in the national tour of THE LIGHTNING THIEF, based on the Rick Riordan novel of the same title. I reached him in beautiful, breezy Eugene, Oregon, where the weather was great and he was enjoying some time before his show this evening.

This week, Noah Galvin and Caitlin Houlahan got a table for two in the Broadway production of Waitress! See them take their first curtain call below!

American Indian Artists Inc. (AMERINDA) will present the World Premiere of BOUND, written and directed by Tara Moses. Previews began on April 25 at Theatre for the New City with opening night slated for May 3.

The Queens Theatre may cause a stir when it premieres Relic, or, I Was Bubbie's Favorite by Joel Feinman (as told to Lojo Simon), an outrageous new comedy by playwright Lojo Simon and directed by Will Pomerantz, that explores the cult of celebrity, religion and idolatry in modern times. The play, set in the Queens neighborhood of Rego Park, revolves around an out-of-work actor who finds what purports to be the world's greatest relic in his grandmother's attic, offering him the fame and fortune he always sought. He discovers, however, that it may not be all he wants! Performances will be held Friday, May 10th through Sunday, May 19th (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays).

From the author of the play Enchanted April, comes a humorous and heartwarming love story for feisty women featuring a cast of Broadway veterans, directed by two-time Tony Award winner, Judith Ivey.

The producers of the Broadway musical Waitress announced today that Noah Galvin (Dear Evan Hansen, 'The Real O'Neals') will take over the role of Ogie and Caitlin Houlahan (Girl From the North Country) will return to the role of Dawn on Monday, April 29. Eddie Jemison and Lenne Klingaman will play their final performances as Ogie and Dawn respectively on Sunday, April 28.

Annette Bening is back on Broadway! The award-winning actress has been away from the Great White Way for over 30 years, but she is now back, starring in All My Sons at the American Airlines Theatre.

Who is Taylor Mac? A question that fans, critics, fellow artists, and even Taylor have been asking since Mac first made an appearance on the downtown theatre scene.

American Indian Artists Inc. (AMERINDA) will present the World Premiere of BOUND, written and directed by Tara Dawn Moses. Previews begin on April 25 at Theatre for the New City with opening night slated for May 3.

It's time to walk the line. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents the regional premiere of Skeleton Crew, a compelling drama about a driven team of autoworkers trying to navigate a cutthroat industry. This searing new play is by Dominique Morisseau (Detroit '67 ), a 2018 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellows Program (unofficially referred to as a Genius Grant). Skeleton Crew is the final installment of Morisseau's powerful Detroit Project, which was inspired by August Wilson's landmark Century Cycle. Playing April 13-May 11, 2019. Directed by Stori Ayers. Production Sponsor is The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

2019 MAC Award Nominees for Duo/Group Cheo Bourne and Lena Moy-Borgen are back with more cake! Moy-Borgen & Bourne's Office Party is coming to Don't Tell Mama on April 25th at 7pm. Watch them, your party planning committee, as they curate an awesome party for you - and this one is NSFW! Sylvia Feldman is our Employee of the Month and Emily Viega joins in as the new intern! Devon Perry music directs.

Nathan Lee Graham (Zoolander, "LA to Vegas") Nadia Quinn (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Josh Sharp (Comedy Central's "The Opposition"), and Phillip Taratula ("The Outs") have joined the cast of Justin Sayre's camp-horror-soap-opera Ravenswood Manor at JOE'S PUB on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 at 9:30 PM. After premiering at the venue last fall, Ravenswood Manor will be continued with episodes 7 thru 9 on Saturday, and episodes 10 through 12 on Sunday.

BroadwayWorld has teamed up with Broadway alum Ilana Levine, who makes her entrance onto the podcast stage with her new show Little Known Facts. Ilana's unique brand of celebrity interview, 'Podcast Verite,' is unfiltered, raw, honest and uniquely funny.

NY Madness is excited to announce it's April 2019 line-up as a Madness Co-Produced by Elephant Run District! The event will take place on Sunday, April 28th at 8pm at The Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd Avenue and Bowery). The lineup will include:

Goodspeed Musicals today announces the cast of Hi, My Name is Ben, the inspirational true story of one man who impacted the lives of all those around him without speaking a word.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Power through the end of your week by catching up on the latest Broadway news!

Actress/writer Nia Vardalos will be bringing her latest theatrical creation TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS to the Pasadena Playhouse beginning April 10, 2019. In her stage adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's New York Times best-seller (co-conceived with Thomas Kail & Marshall Hayman), Nia reprises the lead role of Sugar, an online advice columnist by happenstance. Nia managed a few spare moments of her crazy, busy schedule to answer a few of my inquisitive inquiries on Sugar & Toula.

The Orchard Project is proud to announce a preview of the chefs, performers and presenters for its 2019 Gala, A TASTE OF SOMETHING NEW, occurring Monday, April 15, 2019 at the Prince George Ballroom and honoring the work of Avram Freedberg and Eva Price (Co-Founders, Maximum Entertainment, Producers of Oklahoma! and Jagged Little Pill) and writers Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden (Veep, Divorce, and the musicals Female Troubles and Hollywood Romance).